Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand access, by measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal hunger resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
